Ilene Younger Qualkinbush, the “founding mother” of The Arc of Indiana, passed away on May 14, 2020 at the age of 93.
Inspired by her daughter Susan, who was born with severe developmental disabilities, Ilene helped establish The Arc of Indiana in 1956.
Along with her friend and colleague, Dorothy Burnside, Ilene served as the first lobbyist for The Arc at the Indiana General Assembly. Because their were no services or supports for people with severe disabilities at that time, Ilene and Dorothy had been forced to make the diifficult decisoin to place their daughers at Muscatatuck State Hospital. They committed themeselves to a lifetime of work to ensure future parents would not have to make that decision.
She became The Arc’s first paid employee when she was appointed Executive Secretary in 1963 and was elected as The Arc of Indiana’s first female president in 1988. Through the years, Ilene served as a volunteer for 7 years, a professional staff member for 18 years and then again as a volunteer for 13 years.
After retiring from The Arc in 1981, she was a consultant in genetics education at the Indiana Board of Health, working on newborn screening programs and organizing genetics education workshops throughout Indiana.
Ilene was a humble and hard working woman and was recognized locally and nationally for her work. She received the Sagamore of the Wabash in 1990 from then Governor Evan Bayh, the Drummer Boy Award in 1992 from Noble/The Arc of Greater Indianapolis, and the Lifelong Achievement Award from the National Conference of Executives of The Arc in 2003, plus many other recognitions. In 2019 she was honored by The Arc of Indiana with the creation of the Ilene Younger Qualkinbush Service Award.
We will forever be indebted to her work.
Photos – Clockwise:
Ilene and Dorothy Burnside, The Arc of Indiana 50th Anniversary Gala, 2006
Governor Evan Bayh presents Ilene with the Sagamore of the Wabash, 1990
Ilene and Tony Orlando, national spokesperson for The Arc, 1979
John Dickerson, Ilene and Kim Dodson; establishment of the Ilene Younger Qualkinbush Service Award, 2019
Ilene and Representative Jim Jontz, 1979
Ilene and Governor Otis Bowen, 1978
Center: Ilene Younger named executive secretary, 1963